TAXILA: The respective returning officers have allotted election symbols to all the 69 candidates vying for five seats of the Punjab Assembly in the Attock district. Most of the candidates belong to the PTI followed by PML and PPP.

The PTI candidates have been given the symbol of a cricket bat while the symbol of crane was allotted to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), scale to Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and arrow to the PPP. Candidates having affiliation with the PML-N failed to get the party ticket and are now vying as independent candidates.

Sources said despite non-provision of the stationery, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has prepared a temporary polling scheme on its own for the five constituencies comprising Attock, Hazro, Pindigheb, Jand, Hassanabdal and Fatehjang.

According to the final list of candidates released by Kamran Asharf, the returning officer, 13 are in the run for the seat of PP-1, Attock-1. The constituency comprises rural and urban area of Hazro where seven independent candidates are also in the run among them Qazi Ahmed Akbar is contesting on the ticket of PTI along with his mother Shahnaz Khalid.

Most PML-N candidates contesting as independent after failing to get party ticket

Former additional deputy commissioner Changaiz Khan and Shamshair Aslam, son of former special assistant to Prime Minister Malik Amin Aslam, who was a strong candidate of PTI party ticket, decided to contest the election as independent candidates with the election symbols of eagle and jeep, respectively. Other prominent candidates include former provincial minister Jehangir Khanzada having affiliation with the PML who has been allotted the symbol of umbrella.

The final list of candidates was released by Dr Sana Ramchand, returning officer, 17 are in the run for the provincial assembly seat PP-II, Attock-II comprising Hassanabdal and Fatehjang. Among them 12, mostly having political affiliation with PML and PTI estranged leaders, are contesting as independent candidates.

Akbar Khan Tanoli of PTI was allotted the party symbol of bat, Owais Aslam Mirza is contesting on the symbol of scale, PPP leader Zulfiqar Hayat Khan with the election symbol of arrow, former member Punjab assembly Shahwaiz Khan having political affiliation with PML has been allotted election symbol of tonga and Ifitkhar Ahmed Khan the symbol of umbrella.

According to the list issued by returning officer Waqar Akbar Cheema, in PP-3, Attock-III 19 candidates are in the run and 13 of the are independent. The area comprising Attock city and Sanjwal Cantonment has strong political heavyweights prominent among being former provincial minister Syed Yawar Boukhari.

He succeeded to get party ticket again and is contesting on the election symbol of bat. Zain Ellahi, son of former member National Assembly Tahir Sadiq is contesting with the election symbol of crown while Hameed Akbar has been allotted the symbol of umbrella and Saradar Asim Nawaz Khan telephone.

List issued by returning officer Shagufta Jabeen for PP-4, Attock-IV, showed 13 candidates in the run among them eight are independent.

The area comprises tehsil Pindigheb. Former Punjab minister retired Col Mohammad Anwar has got the PTI ticket while former Punjab assembly member Khurrum Ali Khan and PML candidate Sher Ali Khan, ex-MPA, are also vying as independent candidates with the symbol of peacock and umbrella, respectively.

According to the list issued by returning officer Mohammad Irfan for PP-5, Attock-V, 20 candidates are in the run including 16 independent. The area comprises Jand tehsil. Former MPA Jamshaid Altaf succeeded to retain his PTI ticket while Sardar Iftikhar Ali was allotted the election symbol of television and Malik Itibar Khan is contesting with the symbol of pick-up.

According to District Election Commissioner Noorul Khitab, there are 1319,817 registered voters in the district.

He said to facilitate the voters, 1,069 polling stations will be set up - 317 for males, 298 for females and 454 combined polling stations.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2023